Golden Sweet Cornbread

Fall!!  Fall is around the corner (hopefully!) -- so planning out my soups!  This cornbread is a great addition to any soup! 

Ingredients

1 c flour

1 c yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9 inch round cake pan (or a 9x9 square pan works fine as well!).  In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Stir in egg, milk & oil until well combined.  Pour batter in pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Muffins

2/3 c shortening
2 2/3 c sugar
4 eggs
1 16-oz can pumpkin
3 1/3 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
2/3 c chopped nuts (opt)
1/3 c chocolate chips (opt)

Mix together wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix in nuts & chocolate chips last. Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake 20-25 mins at 350. Makes about 33 muffins.

I'm on a scone making kick, and I found this recipe online (joyofbaking.com), and just HAD to try it out! When blueberries finally went on sale, I bought a pint and went to work!

Ingredients

2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
6 tbsp chilled butter
1 c fresh blueberries
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c cream or milk

Streusel Topping
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp chilled butter

For the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut the butter into small pieces & blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg & vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently for or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.

For the streusel topping: in a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender (or fork), cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture.

Bake the scones until nicely browned @ 425 degrees, about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days!

Amy's Notes: I used buttermilk instead of milk or cream, just because I've been using buttermilk with all my other scone recipes. If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw first! Also, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, which I never have on hand. I used both salt & salted butter, and it tasted fine. You could just omit the salt if using salted butter. I also make sure all the items I bake is on parchment paper!!

Orange Cranberry Scones

picture by me

This is the same similar scone recipe as the Cinnamon Raisin Scones, but a few ingredients have changed.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c cranberries (or Craisins)
zest of 1 orange

Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp orange juice

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add cranberries & orange zest. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

picture by me

My sister in law gave me this recipe. I made this for the first time yesterday, and WOW! It was amazing!!

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

3 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick butter

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c raisins

2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp milk

couple shakes of cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add raisins. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

Banana Bread (no sugar!)

INGREDIENTS
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup mashed bananas
* 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

Fiber Bars

Ingredients

* 2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned)
* 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or stoneground spelt flour)
* 1 cup wheat germ
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
* 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
* 1/2 cup oil (neutral flavor like sunflower)
* 1/2 cup honey
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses (optional)
* 1 cup sugar-free applesauce, thick

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (including oats) and whisk together until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.
4. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and blend gently until well moistened.
5. Add any of the suggested additions (add up to 2 cups of any of the following): chocolate chips, raisins (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then drained), unsweetened shredded coconut, sunflower seeds (unsalted), pumpkin seeds (unsalted), dried fruit (like chopped apricots, cranberries), chopped toasted nuts.
6. Press mixture into pan a 9in x 13in pan.
7. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Cut into bars while warm, but let cool completely before removing from pan.

Island Punch (from pass the plate)

I got this recipe from Sis. Ratliff. It is oh so refreshing and really easy to make!

1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice

1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 liters lemon-line flavored carbonated beverage

1. In an empty gallon milk jug or pitcher, pour pineapple juice and orange juice concentrate. Shake to mix and pour in the lemon-lime soda. You may need to let the fizz settle and then return to pouring. This will fill the gallon. Freeze overnight.

* if using a pitcher, pour some into another container to give room to expand in pitcher w/o breaking it.*

2. Let the punch start to thaw 2 or 3 hours before serving. Serve slushy.

Enjoy!

friendly french bread

This recipe is from a friend in Overland Park. She is a fantastic baker. She shared her recipe a few months ago on her blog, and I have since made this twice, and each time it was "ooh, so yummy!"

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c hot water
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1/3 c olive oil
2 tbsp SAF yeast
6 c white flour

Combine water, sugar, salt, olive oil, and 3 cups flour in mixer. Add yeast and then add the last 3 cups of flour. Lex mix until well combined, and then let rest for 10 minutes. Mix again for just 5 seconds, then let rest for another 10 minutes. Do this a total of 4 times and then put dough on floured surface. Knead to handle stage. Cut into 2 equal parts and roll each into a 9x12 rectangle. At this stage, you can put butter and garlic powder on the dough, or pesto sauce or just leave plain (whatever you like). Roll up and cinch the seam together and put both facing each other on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Slash the top with a sharp knife 3 times and brush with a beaten egg on top. Let rise for 30 minutes and then bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, in the middle of the oven. Voila! Crispy on the outside, soft & delicious on the inside!

Makes TWO big loaves!

Healthy Banana Bread

Just to stick with my "health nut" stereotype, I thought I'd share another healthy family snack.

½ c applesauce
1 c yogurt
2 c sugar
5 eggs
3 t vanilla
6 c whole wheat flour (freshly ground in the best!)
3 t baking soda
3 t baking powder
1 ½ t salt
6 large bananas

Cream together margarine, yogurt, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla then beat well. Mix dry ingredients and bananas last.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Makes 3 large loaves.